The Grimm Pages: Dark Waters
by MasterQuill7
Summary: Second season in my HBO spin off. Sequel to Fire Upon the Lake. Rumple and Belle adapt to their new responsibilities, while Ursula stirs up trouble in Neverland for a certain Little Mermaid. They all must work together to put a stop to the sea witch before she ends up ruling all the realms. This is my own twist on things. Contains a lot of OC characters as well. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

It was a horrible night; so much blood, the skies were full of so many violent colors, grey, red, black, the colors of war. This land that they fought so hard to save was the very thing they were destroying. They told themselves they were doing this kingdom a favor, the King who ruled here, this horrid place, Marius, had gone insane; he had slaughtered so many innocent people from his own kingdom that the stench of death had spread through all of Fairytale Land. It wasn't until a few months ago that the royal council had finally decided to do something about it. So here they were, every kingdom in the realm, banning together to put a stop to a true monster. Belle stood strong in the tactical tent, overlooking the huge map of the kingdom and the figurines that symbolized soldiers. Every now and again, a worn soldier would pop his head in, and give status reports on casualties, advances, etc, and more importantly where Rumple was. Everyone was out there fighting, and because of Belle's tactical experience with her father, they elected her to stay behind, but any old schmuck could do what she does, she knew the real reason she wasn't on the battlefield was because her belly was growing bigger and bigger every day. She was two months pregnant, and Rumple didn't even want her near a kitchen knife, much less a sword, but she was determined to see the end of this war. She peeked outside the tent, it was absolute carnage; she was scared, everyone was. All she could see for miles were blood being spattered, men fighting like animals, and forest fires that touched the clouds. The only thing that could be heard were swords clanging together, and men screaming in horror, as they were slaughtered like pigs.

Rumple was fighting hard, but he was growing weary. He swung his brand new custom Florentine Falchion steel blade; it sank deep into the shoulder of his opponent. He swung his head frantically, looking for Alaek, they were supposed to storm the castle together. Several heart thumping moments went by, then he spotted him; he was fighting for his life against a wild ogre. Rumple dashed over to him at the speed of light to help his brother. Alaek rolled out of the way, barely dodging a giant fist which pummeled to the ground, and created a huge crater. He gazed up at the monster; he tried to stand, but toppled back over, his leg was broken, he thought the force of the blow into the ground must have caught him as he rolled. The ogre just growled at him like he was an annoying fly. All he could do now was watch helplessly as the ogre raised his fist high into the air, ready to flatten him like an over cooked pancake. H squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation, but nothing, instead he heard the ogre let out a blood curtailing roar. Alaek opened his eyes to see Rumple with his knife in the ogre's back, holding on for dear life, as the ogre thrashed violently, trying to buck him off.

"Brother!" cried Alaek.

"Hit it in the eye!" screamed Rumple.

Alaek took a dagger from his belt, and took aim. It was no use, the monster was moving around too much, and he couldn't risk hitting Rumple. It began to reach frantically across its back, trying desperately to find Rumple, who was quickly dodging his massive hands.

"Use a freezing spell on him or something!" shouted Alaek.

Rumple placed his hand firmly on the ogre's back; his hand glowed a bright red, and the ogre suddenly stopped, stiff as a board, as if he were frozen in time, which it was. Alaek aimed again, and threw the dagger, hitting it squarely in the eye. The spell immediately wore off; Rumple jumped down off the beast, as it howled in pain, then fell over dead. Al patted his brother's shoulder, and looked over to the at the open window above the front gates, which their soldiers were trying to open with a huge battering ram. He pointed at the newly discovered entrance into the castle, and both began to sprint towards it. They jumped on some wooden boxes, grabbed the ledge, ran along the walls, and finally hoisted themselves into the window of, what seemed to be, the armory.

"What now?" asked Alaek through gritted teeth, as he clutched his leg in pain.

"This way," said Rumple, running out into the hallway.

Rumple had studied the blueprints of the castle a long time ago, he was no stranger here. They sprinted down various hallways, well Rumple did, Alaek could only limp as fast as he could; they rounded corners, and dodged cannon balls that shot through, and destroyed the stone walls, showering them with rocks. Rumple began to slow down, they had reached their destination; the throne room. Rumple pushed the giant doors open with some difficulty. They looked across the room; Marius was just standing there motionless, staring out the window at the carnage down below. Rumple gripped the hilt of his sword, and drew it, ready for battle, while Alaek stood tall, expertly twirling his tomahawks. Marius finally turned, and acknowledged them. Looking at him, to say he had gone insane was a massive understatement; he had obviously gone to a very dark place, where there was no coming back. Everything about him was dark; his clothes, his hair, his eyes, Rumple was even cautious of him, he might dare say he was even afraid of him.

"Hello, Rumplestiltskin….. and of course the famed Alaek, the rogue elf. I've expected you both" he said calmly.

They both just glared at him.

"Have you come to kill me?" he asked.

"You have left us no other choice," said Rumple.

"Who has chosen my fate for me?"

"The Royal Council," said Rumple.

"So it is true… you really have become the King's dog," he said coldly.

Rumple winced a bit; the comment had hurt his pride, but he was not about to show the least bit of hint that this monster had control over him.

"I've heard enough," said Alaek.

And with that, Alaek charged forward, his tomahawk raised high above his head. The elf jumped in the air, not caring about the pain in his leg, and swung it down with incredible force; Marius blocked it with his metal bracer. They growled at each other, and glared into each other's eyes; Alaek took a few more shots, but the evil King blocked them all. They stood there struggling for some time; it was a battle of strength. Rumple just watched, hesitant to join in, it would be an unfair fight, one thing he learned on his adventures in the past and his life with Belle was honor, but then again, their only mission was to kill him, plus it wasn't like Marius deserved a fair fight. Rumple charged forward, sword in hand, he swung down; Marius barely dodged the attack, strands of his hair broke off into the wind. He jumped back; dust erupted from his feet as he slid to a halt a few feet away from them. They both glared at him.

"SO that's how it's going to be?"

"Rumple. What are we doing? We have more honor than this," said Alaek.

"Yes, but our mission is to kill him, plain and simple. You're injured, you wouldn't have lasted long anyway."

Alaek frowned at him, it was obvious he had taken offense, but deep down he knew he was right.

"You could've been a bit nicer about it," said Alaek stubbornly.

They lunged at him again, swinging swords and axes. Marius struggled to defend himself, and Rumple could sense he was getting tired. The evil King swung wildly, slashing across Rumple's face, he howled in pain, as he covered his open wound, the blood ran freely over his fingers. Alaek quickly aimed for Marius' leg, and planted his axe square into his thigh. Marius collapsed, gritting his teeth. Rumple was so angry he couldn't see straight, and the blood trickling into his eyes didn't help; he could barely make out the figure of the evil King collapsing on his knees. Without hesitation, he picked up his sword, and stabbed Marius through his neck. The evil King looked up at his killers, gargled the blood in his mouth, and fell to the ground, dead. Rumple hissed in pain, Alaek jumped over to him; he waved his hand over Rumple's face, and the wound healed, the blood seeped back into the gash.

"Thank you," whispered Rumple

"Of course. That handsome face of yours is really all you have left," said Alaek, teasing him.

Rumple scoffed and pushed Alaek down playfully. Battle horns echoed outside, which were joined by an ocean of cheers of victory; the two brothers looked out the window. Marius' army were dropping like flies, they almost looked like dominos from above. The ogres joined them, each falling over like large stones; the war was finally over. The brothers turned to see Charming leaning against the door frame, trying to catch his breath.

Belle walked out of the tent, beaming like the sun, the war was over, and despite the abundance of destruction around her, she seemed to be blind to it; the only thing she could see were the soldiers hugging, laughing, and praising the stars for their lives, as tears of pure joy ran down their cheeks like rain. It was truly a time for celebration. She walked amongst the rubble and smoke, looking desperately for Rumple, Alaek, anyone she loved.

"My Lady!" called Lumiere, as he ran up to her.

Belle turned and smiled at her faithful butler, his armor torn and rusted, his face covered in cuts and bruises. She had never been so glad to see him.

"Lumiere, you made it," she said happily.

"Yes, my Lady Belle"

"Have you seen Rumple?"

"During the battle, I saw him enter the castle with Lord Alaek. It was quite a display. Those two are incredible.

Belle immediately started for the castle, walking briskly, Lumiere in tow; he looked down at her belly nervously.

"My Lady, the baby. You shouldn't be walking around so much."

"It's alright. I'm fine, Lumiere. My child's father is missing. That concerns me more right now."

She quickened her step, avoiding rubble and slain bodies. As she moved closer to the castle, she saw three figures emerging from the destroyed gate, she stopped, unable to hide the joy on her face; she knew immediately who it was. It was them, Rumple staggered out, supporting Alaek, as they limped towards her, Charming behind them. Belle slowly walked forward, meeting them halfway. She immediately wrapped her arms around her two boys, almost knocking them down. They were battered and bruised, but they were alive.

"I'm so happy that you both made it. I was so worried," said Belle smiling.

"Indeed. We mad it. Marius is dead. The kingdom is finally free."

"Aye. Hopefully the next was will be easier, and a lot less bloody," said Alaek.

Rumple and Belle looked at the ground, slightly embarrassed. They agreed to fight with Charming to prevent wars, and so far they had failed miserably.

"They're won't be another war," said Charming, as he approached them.

"All due respect, your majesty…. You've said that before, we've all said that before, and yet here we are. I don't like it either, but trouble seems to find us no matter how hard we try to prevent it," said Alaek.

Charming patted him on the shoulder, and slung his arm over his.

"Come on, Al"

They walked back towards the cheering soldiers together, leaving Rumple and Belle alone together. They looked deep into each other's eyes, and smiled; Belle grabbed his face and kissed him hard. It was thunderous; Rumple wrapped his arms around her letting the kiss deepen. It was several moments before they realized they had to breathe. He stroked her cheeks, and too her hand in his. They began to walk back towards the others, smiling and holding each other like they were the happiest couple in all the realms.

"I thought I had lost you," said Belle, as she stoked his cheek.

"You'll never loose me. Never," he said.

They seemed to quickly reach the camp in their domestic bliss; the soldiers were still celebrating, as they should. All were laughing, hugging, and playing joyous music. Even Rumple had to crack a smile.

"Rumplestiltskin! Belle!" called a happy Charming, as he made his way over to them through the crowd of dancing soldiers.

"Your majesty," said Rumple, as he shook his hand.

"Come. We have much to discuss," said Charming, waving them along.

They followed him into a tent, Alaek was laying on a table in the center with his leg bandaged, and stitches in his head. He looked up, and grinned wildly at them. Belle hugged him tightly; Snow, Red, Granny, and Grumpy entered the tent as well. They all looked rather serious.

"What's going on?" asked Alaek, looking around curiously.

We cannot let these people just wonder without a leader. It is our fault that they no longer have one. Snow and I have spoken with them. They want a new Prince," said Charming.

"Excellent. Have you decided who?" asked Alaek.

Charming looked briefly at Snow, as if he was going regret what he was about to say, but in the end he had no choice in the matter.

"They want the man that freed them from their King's tyranny. They want the man that killed him… They want you…. Rumplestiltskin."

Rumple just stood there, stunned, he was stiff as a board. For the first time in a very long time, he was terrified for himself.


	2. Chapter 2

"What?... Me?"

"Yes."

"I don't have any leadership qualities. I barely manage to take care of my own family, how the hell am I supposed to take care of an entire kingdom?" Rumple's eyes were filled with fear and desperation, something he did not even attempt to hide.

"That's not true," said Alaek.

"Yes, darling. All the times we've been in trouble, we've survived due mostly to your leadership, your advice," said Belle, placing a hand on his trembling shoulder.

"You may be mostly brains, brother…. But you have a warrior's spirit, and that spirit has been known to show itself often. It takes a good mind to run a kingdom anyway," said Alaek.

"These people need a leader, they want a leader. And they want you…. only you. Don't deny them," said Charming.

Rumple sat on the wooden stool against the wall, he put his face in his hands, using his fingers to roughly massage his temple; he could feel everyone's eyes burning multiple holes into his very soul. How could they ask him of this? He was no Prince, not even close; the very idea of the Dark One being a Prince was almost hilarious. He couldn't do this; it was too much to ask. There was absolutely no way. He looked up, when he felt Belle's hand rubbing his neck, trying to soothe him. She stared into his eyes, and took his hand in hers. Rumple loved those eyes, they always calmed him, no matter what he was feeling, and this time was no different; he gave her a weak smile, and let her help him to his feet. He looked at the rest of them, and whispered:

"Very well."

What did he just get himself into?

**3 days later…**

It was a beautiful day to be crowned, Rumple couldn't remember the last time the sky was so clear. A massive crowd of villagers stood silent in the middle of the village square. Rumple had spent three long days, without rest, building homes for the newcomers, and building an entire village that completely surrounded the walls of his castle. The Grand Minister stood in front of the castle doors; book in hand, along with all the other Kings, Queens, Princesses, and Princes in the realm. Even Regina stood up there, wearing her usual scowl and black outfit. The crowd parted, allowing Rumple and Belle to pass. Rumple was dressed in his favorite blue, black, and gold outfit he wore at his wedding, and Belle wore her traditional trademark yellow gown. They started to walk, hand in hand, down the aisle of happy people first, Alaek followed soon after, wearing a nice brown leather ensemble. All eyes were on the small family, slowing walking towards the stone steps; Rumple tried to focus on the stone lion embedded in the archway above the doors, he was scared, and he tried desperately to hide it from the people who looked upon him with nothing but pride. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught several small children sitting on their fathers' shoulders, gasping at the sight of them, and tugging on their fathers' hair, and excitedly yelling:

"Look! Look! Papa! It's Prince Rumplestiltskin and Prince Alaek.

Or the girls would yell:

" Look, Mama! It's the Princess!"

He looked over, and caught Belle smiling at the new found admiration. Rumple suddenly felt a calming force erupting throughout his body, relaxing him; he knew in an instant it was Alaek. If it was one thing he knew, it was that Alaek never failed in sensing other people's emotions. Sometimes Rumple found it extremely annoying, but most of the time it was what he loved most about him, his ability to sense when he needed to vent. They reached the front faster than Rumple had anticipated, and climbed the stone steps. Alaek took his place beside Belle, and the grand minister motioned for them to kneel.

"Rumplestiltskin… do you swear to uphold the laws of the realm, respond to every call for help, and defend your kingdom until your last breath?"

"I do."

"Very well… Therefore, with my power as grand minister, and on behalf of the royal council…."

He waved his hand, three young boys carrying three crowns that sat neatly on little individual blue pillows, walked out and stood in a line next to the minister. He picked up the first crown, holding carefully in his hands as if it were a stick of dynamite; he turned to face them again.

"I place this crown on your head, and I dub thee…. Prince Rumplestiltskin," he said, as he placed the crown on Rumple's head.

He took the second crown, moved to stand in front of Belle.

"And by marriage, I dub thee….. Princess Belle," he said, as he placed the crown gently on her head.

He took the last crown, and stood in front of Alaek.

"And by blood, I dub thee….. Prince Alaek."

He placed the crown on Alaek's head, and stepped back, raising his arms into the air.

"Long may you reign…. Hear! Hear!" he shouted.

Alaek and Rumple stood up, then turned, and helped Belle to her feet. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause; the new royal family couldn't help but smile at each other.

There was a massive feast that night; bigger than any wedding. The villagers sang and danced, some get into short drunken fights that were promptly broken up by calmer headed men. Rumple, Belle, and Alaek sat on three massive thrones at the very spot where they were crowned several hours earlier. Each nodded, as villagers brought them endless gifts that seemed to pile up to the sky. The young children, particularly the girls, who seemed to be taken with Belle, each brought her a crown of flowers, which Belle wore proudly, letting them replace the golden one she had just received. The young women also approached with flowers of all kinds, but instead, gave them to Alaek, who gave them a weak smile in return. They bowed and giggled like the smitten girls they were; they were no doubt hoping to be the next princess.

"Well.. Well… Someone's getting a lot of attention from the lovely ladies," said Belle, teasing him.

"Oh please…. Not anytime soon."

"Come on, Al. Maybe you should finally settle down. You've been on the run practically your whole life. This is your home now, time to find someone else to share it with."

"I have you two."

"I meant someone besides us…. and romantically."

"Fine. Maybe you're right."

"Besides… I now need as many heirs as possible," said Rumple.

"Already talking about heirs I see….."

Rumple's heart skipped a beat; he knew that voice. That voice he had missed for years, the one voice he had longed to hear since he had returned to his world; Bae, his son, stood in front of them, he looked a little older, his hair had grown some, but he still had same innocence that he had come to know.

"Bae?"

He nodded, but Belle sensed some uneasiness in his stance and in his voice. Alaek stood up from his throne, and stepped down, his arms opened wide and smiling at him.

"Nephew…"

Bae embraced him, laughing as he did so, after all he wasn't mad at his Uncle.

"How are you, boy?" asked Alaek.

"Fine, Al thank you…. The Blue Fairy sent us word of you all's new titles. Though I should congratulate you."

"It's good to see you, son."

Belle stepped down to hug him as well. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he equally returned her love, happy to be in her arms once again.

"Hey, Mom," he sighed.

"You're not eating enough, are you?" asked Belle , as she rubbed his stomach.

Bae laughed at her stereotypical mom response. He loved to refer to Belle as his mother instead of his step-mother; she was more of a mother to him now than Milah ever was. He trusted her above everyone else, even Emma and Henry. Rumple joined his family; he placed a loving hand on Bae's shoulder.

"We need to talk, Papa….. Alone."

"Of course….. Follow me."

**Neverland…..**

Deep below the calm surrounding sea, a young mermaid swam briskly though the reef, her fish friend, Flounder, in tow. Ariel's long red hair flowed beautifully behind her; she ducked behind a coral and swam down, going deeper towards the bottom; unbeknownst to her, two slippery eels were watching her in the distance with their bright yellow eyes. It was getting darker the deeper she went, the only light was a small sliver at the very bottom; miles down. For Ariel the swim down seem to get quicker and quicker the more she did it; she finally reached the bottom of the reef , the natural glow of the sea kingdom never failed to astound her, even though she was born and raised here, it never caused her to not stop and appreciate it's beauty. The coral castle stood tall, as thousands of Merpeople swam freely around it. Unfortunately, she could not admire it for long; she was already late for her father's ceremony. Not only was she supposed to sing, but she promised him she would at least meet the next round of suitors for her hand in marriage. It wasn't that the Mermen she met weren't worthy, but Ariel wanted nothing more than to go to the top world and see what it was like to live amongst the humans. It was her dream, but the King was always against it, to him humans were the most evil creatures to walk on two legs, and she and her sisters, as well as all the Merpeople were to stay below the water unless told otherwise, but Ariel couldn't help herself, she had to know what it would be like to live as a human. She hurried into the castle halls, and up to her father's throne room. He was sitting on his throne, triton in hand, brooding in the dark. Ariel approached him with caution, fully knowing why he looked so angry.

"I'm sorry, father."

"Where were you?"

"I was swimming around the reef…."

"Close to the shore?!"

Her father didn't like her swimming so close to the shore, he thought it wasn't safe, but she could not lie to him.

"Yes," she whispered.

"How many times have I told you?!"

"I know, father."

"I can't tell. How can I tell? You still go to shore; even though I have told you countless times that the humans are dangerous."

"I'm sorry, father!" she yelled, the tears flowing down her cheeks.

"So am I."

Ariel looked at him, puzzled.

"My daughter, I hereby sentence you to confinement…. For your own safety…. For your own protection."

"Father, no!" she screamed.

"You are not to leave your quarters until you learn that the humans cannot be trusted. Everything you need will be provided for you."

"So I am to be a prisoner, then?"

"If that is what it will take to protect you from the humans….. yes."

Two guards appeared behind her like two shadows, and took her on each arm.

"Take her two her quarters," he commanded.

"Yes, sire," they replied in unison, like well-trained soldiers.

Ariel and the two guards reached her room in what seemed to be days long, they slammed the door behind her; she swam over to the bed cried endlessly into the pillow. Luckily for the two black eels, she hadn't noticed them watching her through the window.

"We must tell our mistress about this new development," Flotsam hissed.


	3. Chapter 3

Rumple and Bae sat across from each other, the fire cascaded the library in a bright orange glow. Rumple looked at his son, whose attention seems to be fixed on the roaring flames.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, son?"

Bae said nothing; it was if he was in another world.

"I haven't seen you in a while. I was hoping you would have come to the wedding," Rumple added.

"You can still use magic?" he interrupted.

Rumple let out a frustrated sigh; it seemed to him that his son was a very hard man to please.

"That's what you wanted to talk about? Not about the adventurers your mother and I have been on? The far off lands, the daring sword fights, none of that?"

"You're changing the subject," said Bae sternly.

"Look, son…. Then need someone on their side with magical capabilities."

"How convenient for you," said Bae coldly.

"Okay….. I don't have to explain myself to you, but I will tell you this….. I couldn't get rid of this magic if I tried. It's part of me now. It's etched into my very soul… I'm sorry, son… but at least I'm finally using my powers for good, just like I originally wanted," said Rumple.

They were suddenly interrupted when the doors flew open , and Lumiere come bursting in with Veronica, drunkenly tugging at her clothes, and laughing at a joke that probably wasn't as funny as it seemed to them, but then again, if anyone was as drunk as they were they would probably find anything funny. He kissed her neck hungrily.

"Lumiere?" It didn't take Rumple long to get his attention.

"Oh….. Your majesty…. We were just….uh…. " Lumiere stumbled over his words.

"It's quite alright. Go about your business, but not in Belle's library….. Go to your quarters," said Rumple, waving them along.

"Of course, so sorry to interrupt, my Lord," he said.

Lumiere finally noticed Baelfire for the first time, and he seemed to have lost all words; it was obvious to Bae that this strange drunk man knew exactly who he was.

"Is this? Oh my…. My apologies…. I…I didn't know it was you, Prince Baelfire. I am sure this is not the state you want to see me in on our first meeting," Lumiere stammered, as he crashed to his knees.

"It's alright. No need to worry. Who are you?"

"Lumiere is one of our butlers. He takes care of the castle while your mother and I are away," explained Rumple.

"Oh… Well, it's nice to meet you, Lumiere."

"The honor is mine, my young Prince…. Oh I almost forgot, your mother wants to see you in the trophy room," said Lumiere, he bowed and left with a giggling Veronica.

Bae turned to face his father again. Rumple smiled warmly at him.

"Go on, son. Go see what your mother wants."

Bae didn't say a word, he merely nodded, and followed Lumiere and Veronica out the door. He closed behind him with a loud clank; Rumple sat back down in his chair. He began to fiddle with one of Belle's books that sat on the table next to him. He flipped violently through the pages, not actual reading them, but using it to take his frustration out on. He closed the book shut with a loud thud, and gently put it aside. He turned his gaze into the orange flames in the rather large fireplace; perhaps in there he could finally see the answer to fixing his relationship with Bae, but all he could see were flames flickering back at him.

Bae opened the trophy room doors; Belle was sitting at the head of the table, her back to him. She turned around in her seat, and smiled at him, as he sat down next to her.

"So, how have you been, son?" she asked with a wide smile.

"Fine, I guess… I miss you."

Belle blushed and looked down at her twiddling thumbs.

"Can I ask you a question?" Bae chimed in.

"Of course."

"How do you do it? Stay with my father even though he still uses magic? You and I wanted him to drop magic more than anyone."

"Honestly… I accepted it a long time ago. Magic is who he is."

"Magic is evil, Mom."

"What I discovered with your father is, it all depends on how you use it…. You're father has decided to turn it towards good; for the sake of all of us, and for the sake of our child's future," she said, as she rubbed her belly.

Belle could tell he still wasn't convinced; Bae had grown up with magic that had destroyed him, and that was his only perspective.

"Bae your father is trying. Give him chance…. Please," she said.

Bae looked at her, and nodded in agreement.

"Good…. On another matter….. your father and uncle are going on a trip to Neverland tomorrow morning….. I would like you to accompany them."

"Mom, I…"

"I know how you feel about that place, but they won't stay long, I promise. They're just investigating a small matter," explained Belle.

Bae just stared into her eyes; she was clearly begging him, even though her words did not give that impression. He breathed a sigh of frustration and rubbed his temple.

"Alright."

Belle jumped up, grabbed his face, and kissed him on the forehead. Bae tried not to seem taken aback by the sudden display of affection.

"Thank you, son."

"Sure."

She turned around in her seat.

"Cogsworth!" she called.

Cogsworth waddled in, then stood there in a military like stance. Bae could barely hold his laughter in.

"You called, your majesty?"

"Could you please show Baelfire to his room?"

Cogsworth gave Bae a similar look to Lumiere's; he immediately dropped to one knee. Bae turned to Belle, not really knowing what to say.

"You get use to that," she said smiling back at him.

"Of course, your majesty….. I will get to it right away….. Are you ready, my prince?" asked Cogsworth.

Bae kissed his step-mother goodnight, and followed Cogsworth out of the room, and up the grand staircase.

Belle quietly entered their bedroom, she spotted Rumple sitting alone in the chair next to their bed. The room was dimly lit; various candles shined brightly around the room. He was staring off into space, which was why he jumped when she gently touched his shoulder.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing….. just…. It's Bae. I don't k now how to get close to him. He doesn't love me anymore… What I did to him was unforgivable, but I wish I could do something…. Anything to get close to him again."

Belle took his hand in hers; she kissed it, and smiled up at him.

"What?"

"You're the best father I've ever known, and our children so blessed to have you in their life."

Rumple nodded; he pulled her closer, and placed a hard kiss on her soft lips. He felt her arms wrap around his neck, as she nestled into his lap.

"Our baby is lucky to have both of us. Truly lucky," he said.

"Yes…. Alright…. Bed time. You have to get up early."

"Really? Because I had something else in mind," he said seductively, as he gave her that hungry look that she loved so much.

His hand crept further and further up her dress; she stopped him, and took his hand in hers, gently massaging his knuckles, and stroking his arm.

"Yeah? Show me what you had in mind."

They giggled, as they both collapsed on the bed; Rumple slowly crawled on top of her. A soft moan escaped her quivering lips, as he grinded their hips together. He leaned down, and kissed her passionately, their tongues battling for dominance.

**Neverland…..**

Ariel sat calmly on her bed, her flipper tucked underneath her chin. She occasionally glanced out her window at the busy merpeople down below. She looked over at the shadow clock in the center of the room; it was that time again. She swam over to the door, and peered out the small window; the guard was asleep, he fell asleep around the same time every day, giving her ample time to sneak out, and sneak back in. She quietly swam out the window, over the reef, and up towards the surface. Flounder met her halfway, voicing his concern for her well-being.

"Ariel….."

"Not now, Flounder."

"But…."

"Don't worry. Nothing is going to happen, I promise."

She jumped out with a splash like an overgrown whale, and landed back in the sea with another big splash that seemed to echo across the water. She baked in the warm sun, tucking a strand of her rose red hair behind her ear. She spotted her friend Scuttle, the seagull, hunting for fish next to a cluster of rocks along the shore. She happily swam towards him; he spotted her and squawked with delight at the sight of his closest, if not only friend.

"Ariel, so good to see you, my dear," said his cheery voice in her head.

It was a gift all merpeople possessed, to be able to talk to animals, sea and land animals alike.

"How are you, Scuttle?"

"Oh, can't complain. Say…. I heard you were confined."

"Yes… I'm supposed to be. Please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry, my dear. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you. Have you got anything new?"

"Yes…. I took this from the lost boys," he said holding up a pair of glasses.

"These are…..ummmmm…. doohickies," Scuttle sounded so confident.

Ariel took them from his wing, and gazed at them as if they were forbidden treasure.

"Wow….. doohickies. Thanks, Scuttle."

"Of course, Ariel. Anything for you."

**Back in Fairytale Land…..**

Rumple stood shirtless next to the foot of the bed, he seemed to be focused on tying the lace on his leather pants. Belle sat on the bed, watching him, and glancing down at the black vest she held in her hands. He grabbed his black silk shirt, and put his arm in; he looked at her, and finally noticed her sad demeanor.

"What?" he asked as he pulled the shirt over his head, and tucked the hem into his trousers.

"Nothing….. It's just that…. I'm going to miss you," as she made her way over to him.

He grabbed her face in his soft hands, and smiled warmly, as he gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. He kissed her; their lips gently caressed one another, a few moments went by and the kiss started to turn heated, their ears were pounding. The sounds of their hungry breaths filled the room; she grabbed his head, and buried her hand into his hair. He caressed her cheek before he broke away.

"There is no need to worry. It's just a simple routine investigation."

"If it's so simple, why not just have Al handle it? He already said he could go alone," said Belle.

Rumple chose to stay silent; he turned around, as Belle held the vest up, he slipped an arm into each hole. Belle pushed it the rest the way, and smoothed it out on his broad shoulders. He fastened it shut; Belle looked down at the floor, she knew what his silence meant.

"Unless it's not as routine as you say."

"Belle, it's Ursula…. I'm the only one who can handle her. Please try to understand."

"I hate always staying home and worrying whether I'll ever see you again, while you are on some crazy mission. More importantly, I worry that our baby boy will never meet his Papa."

Rumple wrapped his arms around her, she instantly melted; it was always within his arms that he felt the most safe. He kissed the top of her head, and took in the lovely scent of her hair. He pushed a strand of hair out of her face, and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You worry too much, love. We will be home in three days, and we will return without a scratch on us. I promise….. I have to do this, Belle… I have to make amends for all the pain I've caused. My youngest son has to see me in a different light, because if I lose him too…. It's over for me….. I will see you again, Belle. We will always see each other again."

Belle smiled up at him, she gave him a quick peck on the lips, and she grabbed his hand, leading him out the door and down the stairs.

Outside they ran into Alaek, who was saddling his horse, Shadow; they watched him take a brush out, and gently but firmly brush Shadow's mane. It was cold, winter was clearly approaching fast, and the clouds above gave everyone the sign that rain would soon soak the land. Rumple held Belle close, as the cold wind caused her to shiver.

'Your majesty," called Lumiere.

Rumple turned to see Lumiere tugging Phillipe and his own horse by the reigns.

"I took the liberty of preparing your horse for you."

"Thank you, Lumiere."

Rumple turned to Belle; he kissed her hand, then caressed her soft cheek, as the tears began to clearly form in her eyes.

"I'll see you again soon, sweetheart," he whispered.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard, passionately. She broke away, and ran her fingers through his long hair.

"You'd better," she whispered.

He laughed.

"Get a room, guys," said Bae.

Rumple turned to look at Bae, who was pulling to horses on both sides of him, Emma stood next to him; they were both dressed in brown leather, and both look like they were ready for battle. Rumple could not hide the confusion on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We're coming with you," said Bae happily.

"What?" Rumple could hardly believe it, just last night his son barely wanted anything to do with him, now here he was ready to go with him.

"Mom asked me too."

And there it was, the real reason he was coming; everyone knew Bae would do anything for Belle, they had grown that close. Rumple looked over at his wife; she wore a sly smile, and seemed to be distracted by some imaginary thing in the sky. He shook his head, then looked at Emma; his face obviously asked the question of why she was here. He and Emma didn't really get along well, too much history between them, but he would risk his life for her in a heartbeat because she was his daughter in-law, and his son's true love.

"Neal asked me to come," she said.

"It will be dangerous," said Rumple.

"It's fine. Just a routing thing, right?"

Rumple nodded, and climbed onto his horse; Bae and Emma did the same.

"Ready everyone?" asked Alaek.

"Let's go."

Belle blew a kiss after them, and shouted at Emma:

"Emma, take care of my boys!"

"Sure thing, Belle!"

Rumple led the small group out the village and into the enchanted forest. Belle watched them disappear into the trees, but she could not shake the feeling of dread that something terrible was coming.


	4. Chapter 4

Ariel splashed around with Flouder, laughing tumbling around under the water. The waves crashed against the rocks; the water hit them like the waterfall in the mermaid lagoon.

"I'll race you, Flounder!" she screamed, as her fin hit the water, causing a massive wave for a fish his size.

She swam briskly under the crisp ocean, Flounder close behind her. She was almost to the finish mark, and she could not hide the excitement of impending victory, as her smile grew wider. Suddenly, three flashes of green light, and she found herself face to face with a fast approaching ship that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Ariel quickly swam out of the way; Flouder let out a shriek of terror and quickly swam into Ariel's arms, nuzzling into her chest. She gazed at the massive boat in awe, and for the first time she remembered what boats always contained, humans.

"Flounder….. humans! Here! Can you believe it?!" she screamed happily, twirling him around.

"Ariel, we have to go before your father finds out," said Flounder, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Ariel swam straight after the fast moving ship, her tail sashaying behind her. She surfaced to get a better view; it was massive, "The Atlantis" was splayed across the side in gold letters. She squealed in delight, and continued her chase, trying to get as close as possible. On deck, Rumple stood next to Bae, who was at the helm; Alaek was hanging from the ropes above with a telescope against his eye.

"What do you see, Al?!" asked Emma from below.

"Land! Nothing suspicious!" he yelled back.

Bae frustratingly turned the wheel hard to starboard.

"Wish we had the Jolly Roger…. It was a lot easier to maneuver," he said.

Rumple scoffed at his son's casual mention of the ship that belonged to his greatest rival.

"Well we have to work with what we have, don't we son?" Rumple replied coldly.

He walked towards the middle of the deck, and stood next to Emma; he looked up at Alaek.

"Al! Anything?!" he yelled.

"Nothing, brother! I don't sense any strange activity either! Maybe they were just rumors!"

"What are we to do, your majesty?" asked Lumiere.

"Get one of the beans…. Let's get back home."

"Wait. You don't want to at least check out the island?" asked Emma frantically.

"The island is not the problem, Emma…. It's the water," said Rumple.

"The water?" she asked, confused.

"That's where Ursula lives! The sea witch!" yelled Alaek, as he climbed down to join them on the deck.

"Is she what we're here for?"

"Aye."

"I picked up a substantial amount of magical activity from this region. Someone is creating a very powerful spell here. The power was off the charts, bigger than the dark curse. It's been giving me a migraine for the past couple of days," said Alaek.

"Ursula is the only person in Neverland capable of creating something so powerful," Rumple added.

"But now that we're here…. I don't sense a thing….. At least nothing significant," said Al.

"You're sure?" asked Rumple, the disappointment and anger clear in his voice.

"Yeah."

Ariel creeped up next to the ship, she put her ear against the wood, and she could hear their voices as clearly as if she were up there standing next to them.

"Ariel…"

"Shush. Be quiet, Flounder."

"So what's the plan?" asked Emma.

"We go back….. Lumiere…throw the bean," commanded Rumple.

Lumiere tossed the bean up and caught it, he pulled his arm back, ready to throw, suddenly the whole ship shook. They looked around, confused. The bean slipped out of Lumiere's hand; it tumbled in his hands, as he tried desperately to catch it.

"Don't let it hit the deck!" yelled Rumple, knowing fully well what would happen if it did.

Lumiere clamored to keep the bean in his hand, and just as it was inches away from hitting the wood, he scooped it up, and held it firmly in his hand. He breathed a sigh of relief, and placed the bean back in his pouch. Behind him, a large black tentacle slowly crept up alongside the ship, then swiftly smashed down the middle, and wrapped itself around the entire vessel; wood shot in all directions. Bae grabbed Emma, and protested her from the showering splinters, while Rumple and Alaek stood their ground. The Atlantis shook and cracked from the immense hold of whatever creature was trying to drag them to the depths of the sea; Alaek's head pounded from the surge of power he was feeling, whatever he had felt before was now beating on his skull like a loud drum. Rumple watched his brother collapse to his knees, grasping his head in pain, he hurried over to him, grasping Alaek's shoulder in comfort. Suddenly, a hearty, yet evil laugh filled the air.

Ariel ducked under water, her eyes widened at the sight of Ursula, the merpeoples' greatest enemy, rise the above the water with an evil smile, except now she was enormous, a giant. Ariel knew she had to act fast, she knew the humans wouldn't stand a chance, and if they fell in the water, her people would surely devour them. Her father hated humans, but they were a delicacy to her people.

"Ursula," said Rumple through gritted teeth.

"Rumple….. Welcome to my home. If I had known you were coming, I would have cleaned up a bit," she said sarcastically.

"Enough Ursula….. Whatever you are planning, cease now. Don't make me kill you," said Rumple.

Ursula growled at him, then smiled warmly, as if she had just gone through a quick meditation, and let all her anger and troubles go. Her tentacles began to unravel, and she slowly scuttled back into the sea. Ariel climbed up the side of the boat, and peered through the small window in the deck. She gazed in awe at them, she had never seen humans this close before, but her moment of joy turned to one of dread, when a large tentacle came battering down. She lost her grip, and fell back into the sea. Rumple and the others ducked out of the way, next thing he knew, Ursula had wrapped her slimy tentacle around him, and pulled him into the sea. As he hit the water, that felt like a thousand shards of ice hitting him, he could hear his family frantically calling his name.

"Rumple!" yelled Alaek, as he gazed over the side.

She pulled him deeper and deeper, it felt like miles under the sea; the blackness grew darker and darker as they went. The only thing saving Rumple, was the fact they he could breathe underwater. The stopped, Rumple opened his eyes, and found himself gazing into Ursula's giant black ones.

"I never forgot what you said last time we met, Rumple. I plan to return the favor. Nobody talks to me like that….. Not even the great Rumplestiltskin."

She let him go, then disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. Rumple began to swim to the surface as fast as he could. As the black smoke cleared, his surroundings began to become clearer; wait, this area was familiar. His stomach sank, the fear took him like a whirlwind; he knew exactly where he was….. the Merpalace. He suddenly felt two arms wrap around his neck, this could only be a mermaid, bubbles escaped his mouth, as he struggled. The mermaid opened wide, and sunk her teeth into Rumple's shoulder; blood flowed from the open wound, more bubbles escaped from his mouth, as he howled in pain. He managed to throw her off; she flew across the reef, and slammed into a pile of rocks. His hand glowed gold, as he charged up a spell, ready to fire. He had her in his sights, then he was seeing double, a sharp pain seared through his head, and his vision blurred, the mermaid's venom was taking hold. Soon darkness overtook him, and he lost consciousness, falling deeper into the sea.

Ariel spotted the human; one of her sisters had gotten a hold of him. He was out like a light, floating further into darkness; she watched her sister go in for another bite. Ariel swam briskly towards the, and speared her sister into a rock wall just before she was able to take a huge chunk out of his abdomen. Ariel swam back around, and grabbed Rumple by his collar, pulling him along, she swam like had never swam before; he tail swayed rapidly behind her. Her sister was in hot pursuit, growling at them; Rumple was still unconscious. Ariel knew she had to come up with a plan fast, otherwise this human will die, and she might be exiled. Ahead of her were the underwater caverns underneath the island, and a plan suddenly formed in her mind, she would lose her sister in there. Ariel swam for her life, dodging rocks and jagged walls, swimming through crevices, and in between falling boulders. This was taking too long, and her hungry sister was still hot on her trail, she had to lose her fast. Up ahead she could see rays of light coming from an opening in the rocks. She pulled Rumple in front of her, abruptly stopped, and swam up through the opening, holding him close, and shooting through the narrow passage. Her sister missed them, and crashed head first into the rock wall. The impact caused a minor collapse, and she was buried in a matter of seconds. Ariel glanced behind her; there was no sign of her sister, she swam up to the surface. She dragged Rumple onto the beach, the tide splashed over them. She gazed at him, this was the first time she had ever come in contact with a human, at least this close. She brushed a strand of wet hair from his face.

"Ariel!" called Flounder, as he jumped out of the water.

"It's alright, Flounder."

"He might be dangerous."

"He can't be. Look at him… He's so….. beautiful," she said softly, as she stroked his cheek.

She squinted her eyes, trying to focus on every inch of his face, not wanting to miss even the smallest details, to his handsome and strong features, to the lines in his face. She brushed another strand of hair out of his face, his hair was so soft, and it flowed beautifully around his shoulders. She placed a hand on his chest, letting move in tune with his breathing.

"What would I give to be where you are," she whispered.

She leaned closer to him; her thumb moved gently across his lips, she wanted to kiss him. Her face was inches away from his, when his eyes fluttered open. Rumple could feel the warmth of the sun on his face, and the sand beneath his fingers. He squinted; the dark silhouette above him was slowly coming into focus. He used his hand to shield his eyes from the intense light, with that he could barely make out, what appeared to be a mermaid; long beautiful red hair, gorgeous blue eyes, but not nearly as gorgeous as Belle's, and the most angelic face. She was beaming at him, and he knew that she had saved him; he opened his mouth to talk to her, but only a hoarse whisper came out. She silenced him with a finger on his lips, she didn't want him to speak, she only wanted to gaze upon him. He was so handsome, like a prince, but Ariel could also sense a darkness about him, and that only peaked her curiosity even more. His chest heaved up and down, she could tell he was wary of her; merpeople didn't exactly have the best reputation. She reached out to push another strand of hair out of his face, trying to comfort him, trying to let him know that she would never hurt him. Rumple had no idea of what to think about this girl, it was obvious to him that she had no intention of harming him, but the thing that scared him the most was the way she was looking at him, it was a look he was all too familiar with, a look that only came from Belle.

"Rumple!"

Rumple looked over at Alaek, who was running towards him along the shore. He turned back to look at the mermaid, she was gone; the only thing he could see was a distant green flipper splashing back into the sea. Alaek finally reached him, his hands grazed over Rumple's body, checking his condition. Once satisfied that his brother was fine, he gazed back out at the sea, where the mermaid had vanished.

"Did that monster hurt you?" he asked.

"No. No… she….. saved me."

"What?"

"Aye."

Alaek grasped his hand, and pulled him to his feet.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine….. We need to go back home…. Formulate a plan. Ursula is cooking up something here. We need to find out what it is….. before it's too late," said Rumple.

**Back in Fairytale Land…**

Belle walked happily through the streets of her village, Victoria at her side. Women curtsied and men bowed, as she walked by; Belle happily returned each gesture.

"My lady, it is getting colder. Are you sure you don't want to return to the castle?" asked Victoria.

"I'm alright, Victoria. We'll leave soon," said Belle.

Belle continued her walk until she found herself in an unfamiliar part of the village; a fouls smell filled her nostrils, she quickly whipped out her handkerchief, and covered her nose and mouth. The smell was soon accompanied by a hiss coming from the dark hut directly in front of her.

"Come…." whispered the mysterious voice.

Victoria noticed Belle staring at the darkness ahead; she watched her take baby steps towards the mysterious hut.

"My lady?" Victoria was trying to get Belle's attention. Whatever this was, it was scaring the hell out of her, and thought of her princess being lost in this darkness was even more frightening.

Belle did not hear her, there was something dangerous about the hut, but an unknown force was pulling her towards it.

"Princess Belle?!" she called again.

Belle heard her this time; she knew she needed to send Victoria away.

"I'm alright. Can you go pick up my dress from Mrs. Potts for me?"

Victoria arched her eyebrow at the request.

"I'm not leaving you here. I can't. You'll be in danger."

Belle gave her a stern look; Victoria immediately back down.

"Yes, your majesty."

"Thank you."

Victoria hesitantly turned, as she backed away from Belle; after a few moments, she did as she was asked and left Belle alone. Belle hated doing that, she knew Veronica meant well, but she felt an obligation, as princess to protect the village from darkness, even if the darkness came from the village itself. Belle watched Veronica disappear around the corner, and proceeded into the hut. It was much darker inside than it was outside, it smelled of must and rotting meat.

"You have finally come," said the mysterious voice.

An old woman emerged from the back; Belle gasped and backed up against the wall. The woman's appearance was horrifying, her hair was grey and messy, she was missing a few teeth, her greenish colored clothes were tattered, but her eyes were the most terrifying, she had none. There was a giant scar in place of them. The old woman raised her hands, and a giant eyeballs appeared on each one. Belle's voice caught in her throat.

"No need to fear me, sweetie. I will not harm you," she said before letting out a high pitched laugh.

Belle relaxed a bit, she moved closer to the old woman, who sat own in a chair next to the fireplace.

"Who are you?" asked Belle.

"I am a seer. I can see the future."

"My husband can too."

"Indeed. He got his abilities from my daughter, before he killed her."

"Oh….. I'm so sorry," Belle hung her head in shame, another one of Rumple's misdeeds had caught up to her.

"No need to apologize dear, she had wanted to get out for years. The ability to tell the future is not a gift, it's a curse. Your husband discovered that the hard way."

"Yes he did."

The old woman waved her hands again.

"Oh!" she yelled.

"What? What is it?" asked Belle frantically.

"I have seen a glimpse of her future, my child," she said. Her eyes widened with horror.

"What is it?"

"Your unborn son," she whispered.

"My son? Does something happen to him?" Belle was scared now; she had hoped she and Rumple would be able to raise their son in peace.

"Are you sure you want to know, my dear?"

"Yes. I have to. Please tell me."

The old woman waved her hand again. She looked up at towards the ceiling, let out a hiss, and waved her hands once more.

"Your son….. he will be a handsome man; powerful, intelligent, brave….. he will be strong in magic."

"Go on," said Belle eagerly.

"On his 23rd birthday, he will make a choice, a choice that will decide the fate of us all… His path is at a cross roads. If he makes the right choice, he will bring peace and prosperity to all the realms, he will be regarded as the greatest warrior that ever lived, but if he chooses the wrong path, he will bring nothing but death and destruction, and he will be more feared and hated than his father ever was."

Belle's heart sank, it couldn't, be her son could never be capable of that. It wasn't supposed to be like this; her son was supposed to live a normal life, become a normal man. That was all she and his father ever wanted for him, and now this seer is telling her he may be destined to become a monster.

"There is more….. If he chooses the wrong path, my child… he will be the death of his father."

**I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, I've had a lot going on lately, but now everything is alright, and I'll be updating faster. Thank you all for reading and for your lovely comments.**


End file.
